Therein, too, is part of the process for first-year relievers. Work, work, work.

“I think they all know they can pitch in the major leagues, but it’s the nightly grind that produces the anxiety in them, the self-doubt,” said longtime pitching coach Darren Balsley. “Up here, it doesn’t matter how many pitches you threw yesterday. Say Box(berger) threw 35 pitches yesterday. It doesn’t mean he’s not going to pitch today. Whereas, in the minors, hey, if that kid’s a prospect, that kid’s gonna be down today.

“This is the big leagues. It’s an everyday grind. It’s coming to the ballpark every day, ready to pitch. You have to win every game. It’s rare to go to somebody and say “Hey Brad, you’ve pitched three of the last four and got two innings yesterday, so you’ll be down today.” Really, really rare.”

Changes happen really, really fast with the Padres pen, too. As of two Fridays ago, the Padres had a 30-year-old closer coming off his first All-Star selection and his 21st save without a blown chance, albeit with a strained calf that put him on the DL. They had a highly dependable left-handed specialist in Joe Thatcher, also 30 and the most-tenured reliever with seven seasons in San Diego, but he’s been on the DL since July 30.

Burns, called up on Aug. 3 and returned to Tucson on Aug. 5, was recalled again on Aug. 11 to replace the injured Street. As was the case when Street first went on the DL in early May, his ninth-inning responsibility fell to Thayer, who basically had been a career minor-league closer before signing with the Padres over the winter.

Still qualified for rookie status, the walrus-whiskered Thayer has worked what the guys in the pen refer to as his “Moustache Magic,” making good on all five save opportunities during Street’s first absence and another in his first chance last week. Thayer’s given up only one hit since the start of August.

He is quite a hit with the kids, though -- his own and the ones in the ‘pen. Indeed, as Mikolas spoke just outside the visitors clubhouse at Turner Field, Thayer was a little farther down the hallway, Skyping with his wife and children on an iPad.

“(Thayer’s story) really makes you appreciate being here at such a young age, but it’s also a reminder to never give up,” said Mikolas. “I saw (Thayer) him in spring training and I was like, how is this guy not in the major leagues for five years? With his stuff? I’m, like, damn!”

All the younger rookies have stuff of their own. All, at one time or another in their professional careers, have been closers.

Thayer and Brach were the only two of the rookies with any major league experience at all before this season, Thayer getting a couple brief turns with Tampa Bay over the two previous years, Brach as a September call-up after establishing himself as one of the best closers in minor-league baseball. Brach and Gregerson were the only two members of the Padres bullpen on Opening Day still healthy enougth to be out there.